Taurus (Gargoyles)
Taurus was the episodic protagonist in the animated series Gargoyles, appearing as the false antagonist of the episode "The New Olympians". Taurus was a member of the New Olympians, a race of people directly descended from the various monsters and gods of Greek myths that lived on the isolated island of New Olympus. As the name would suggest his ancestor was the Minotaur, who's wrongful imprisonment and murder at the hands of Theseus caused Taurus to develop a strong contempt towards all humans, especially those considered to be "heroic". Although he harbored and initial resentment towards Elisa Maza for trespassing on the island, Taurus soon gained respect for the policewoman after she helped him recapture his father's murderer, the New Olympian Proteus. Taurus was voiced by Michael Dorn, well known for having played several distinguished and burly protagonists such as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Worf, the titular I.M. Weasel, the Inhuman Gorgon, as well as another Gargoyles character, the cyborg gargoyle Coldstone. Personality For the most part Taurus acted accordingly to his station as an officer of the law: stern, but fair. When Elisa Maza arrived on the island Taurus had her immediately brought before the senate house so she could be trialed for trespassing. Unlike the the far more trigger-happy Helios, however, Taurus avoided unnecessary violence, such as when Helios attacked Elisa's friends on first sight Taurus stopped him. Also, Taurus broke-up the human hating crowds attack on Elisa even though he himself had no fondness towards her species. Furthermore, he was willing to have the entire mob arrested for firing at Elisa's prison cell, and even threatened to have Helios kicked off of the force should he have other violent outbursts. Like most New Olympians, Taurus thought of humans as being dangerous and as such feared and resented them. He saw the injustice that his ancestor suffered at the hands of humans as a prime example of their cruelty. More so he considered human heroes, such as Theseus, as nothing short of utter fiends. But in time these views were tempered and he even began respecting humans who were truly kind, especially after Elisa went out of her way to help capture Proteus and prevent him from blowing up all of New Olympus. History Beginnings Before Taurus became a security guard, his father, the previous Chief of Security, was killed by Proteus during the latter's last attempt to escape the island. This caused Taurus to follow in his father's footsteps and immediately after became the new head of security of New Olympus. The New Olympians Upon their arrival on New Olympus, The Avalon World Tour (Goliath, Angela, Bronx and Elisa Maza) are met by the island's police force. Taurus and the other two hostile police members (Helios and Kiron) captured Elisa Maza, thinking the detective has been "trespassing on the island", but more importantly for being a human. Just as Goliath and the others try to rescue their friend they are attacked by Helios, but Taurus orders him to back down since gargoyles where well-respected by the New Olympians. The police force bring Elisa to the Senate House so she may be put on trial for trespassing. As was expected most of the New Olympians in attendance of the trial wish for Elisa to be punished for their ancestors' persecution at the hands of humans several thousand years ago. Even Taurus blames the loss of his ancestor, The Minotaur, who had been left to starve inside a labyrinth and later murdered by a human hero (Theseus). Because of this injustice Taurus finds all humans potentially dangerous. Despite the animosity towards her being human, Boreas, leader of The New Olympians, finds Elisa innocent after hearing Goliath vouch for her. Nevertheless he forbids her leaving the island, fearing that the temptation of revealing his race's existence was to great. He begrudgingly invites Elisa to live on the island. As The Avalon World Tour are walking through the city's streets they are harassed by a group of New Olympians led by Helios, Kiron and Ekidna, who immediately start a fight with them. Because it was assumed that Elisa had caused the riot Taurus arrives to have her arrested, but he also orders the angry mob to stop attacking her. As he is leading Elisa to her prison cell Taurus is mocked at by the shape-shifting criminal Proteus, disguised as his father, whom Proteus murdered. Elisa points out that she and Taurus are similar in that the both of them became police officers after their respective fathers, although Taurus dose not seem to be moved by her words. Not long after, the mob from before arrives at the prison to further protest Elisa's presence, with Helios going so far as throwing a fire-ball at her window. Taurus angrily yells at the crowd and threatens to have them all arrested should they continue. He also told Helios to temper his fire-conjuring or risk loosing his job, to which Helios meekly complies. Ekidna, however, swears to Taurus that the fight wasn't over yet. The next day, Taurus is informed by Helios that Elisa had broken out of jail with the help of her gargoyle friends. So Taurus orders him and Kiron to have the gargoyles arrested. Unbeknownst to them Proteus morphed into Elisa and tricked Goliath into releasing him, then changed into Goliath and escaped with the policewoman. Elisa realizes that "Goliath" was an impostor and decides to warn the the islands' police about it. She hijacks Helios's hover-chariot and instigates Taurus to chase after her. They arrive at the Columnadium where Proteus, disguised yet again as Goliath, had caused island's power plant to override, which would cause a massive explosion that would destroy all of New Olympus. Despite capturing Elisa again Taurus takes notice of her warning and realizes that "Goliath" was really Proteus in disguise. A scuffle ensues wherein Proteus transforms into a cyclops and overpowers the chief of security. He plans to have him killed just as he did with his father, but Taurus outmaneuvers Proteus and ends the fight by punched him in his eye which causes Proteus to revert to his human form. He then covers the villain with a gelatinous web to prevent him from shape changing again and cools down the power plant, thus saving the island from the ensuing explosion. Taurus approaches Elisa to ask her as to why would she remain and help save the island when she could have left. She reminds him of her status as a police office, and as such she could not allow a criminal like Proteus get away. Moved by her words, Taurus frees Elisa Maza and admits to her valor, remarking on how she was not like the "human heroes of old", to which Elisa takes it as a ironic compliment. Later that night, Taurus and Boreas bid the Avalon World Tour a goodbye. Boreas also points out that the time for The New Olympians to come out of their isolation was approaching. Apocrypha Seeing Isn't Believing Taurus pursues Proteus in the apocryphal episode in New York City. The New Olympians spin-off series Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman revealed during interviews that he had planned for The New Olympians to have their own self-titled show released. Their debut episode was meant to be a back-door pilote. The show's story would fallow the race's coming-out of exile and making contact with the United Nations. Taurus, although hesitant at first, agreed to become The New Olympians' ambassador, alongside Talos an Sphinx. They would face opposition from two rival factions: Ekidna's human hating group and another one that demanded of the humans to worship them as gods, led by Jove and Helios. Quotes *''My ancestor, the Minotaur, was locked in a labyrinth by humans, starved, and then killed by a human hero.'' Trivia * Coincidentally, Michael Dorn also voiced the actual Minotaur in the Disney Hercules animated series, a spin-off of the movie of the same name. * Taurus shares a few similarities with Gorgon, the Inhuman character that Michael Dorn voiced on the 90s Fantastic Four animate series: ** Both Taurus and Gorgon were members of an isolated society of super-human beings created from the joint union of several other races. The New Olympians were the offspring of Oberon's Children, humans and regular animals, while The Inhumans where an off-shot of the human race that had been genetically empowered by the alien race known as the Kree. Both societies had technology that surpassed in many aspects that of modern humanity. ** Taurus is latin for bull, thus referencing The Minotaur (Minos' bull), while the Gorgons of Greek mythology were three grotesque sisters: Medusa, Stheno and Euryale. Interestingly, both Taurus and Gorgon had cloven feet. ** In both animated series the two characters bore resentment towards a genocidal member of their respective races. Taurus despised Proteus for murdering his father and Gorgon was angry with Maximus for causing the near-extinction of the Inhumans by trapping their city inside a dome that reduced oxygen levels. Category:False Antagonist Category:Lawful Neutral Category:Officials Category:Vengeful Category:Anthropomorphic Category:Tragic Category:Heroic Monsters Category:Animals Category:Heroic Misanthropes Category:Cartoon Heroes Category:TV Show Heroes Category:Male Category:Good Vs. Good